Monica Sandoval, 17, was determined to earn her green belt in Taekwondo, and nothing could stop her from realizing her dream -- not even being diagnosed with leukemia.
Sandoval's diagnosis initially came as a shock, according to My Fox Atlanta.
"I felt like time stopped. You don't go to the doctor expecting that's what they're going to say to you," said Sandoval. "You think all other things, but you never think that you're going to get cancer."
While being treated at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston, the Georgia teen stayed positive and tried to keep the other young patients in good spirits. She even threw "princess parties" for some of the other girls at the center.
Watch the video above to see Sandoval in action, or head over to My Fox Atlanta to read the full story.
Although Sandoval's cancer eventually went into remission, it returned again this year. As soon as she found out, Sandoval went straight to her Taekwondo instructor and told him that she needed to finish training so that she could get her green belt.
"I knew how weak I was going to be again," she explained to Fox News, "And I just wanted to feel strong."
And Sandoval did prove her strength, ultimately earning her green belt.
Like Sandoval, a North Carolina teen Ryan Leonard overcame physical limitations to make his athletic dreams come true. The high school sophomore, who was born with no arms, recently sunk a half-court basketball shot.
And earlier this summer, 16-year-old Alex Hendricks -- who was told, after surgery for a brain tumor, that he would probably never walk again -- took to the soccer field as the youngest player in the 2012 Paralympic Games.